Diciannove

Diciannove is an Italian restaurant situated on the ground floor of the Crowne Plaza hotel in Blackfriars. Formerly known as Refetorrio, the restaurant has reopened with a refurb and the addition of a new deli and so I went along to try it out. This was my first time eating around Blackfriars and I have to say that I was slightly dubious about what I could expect from a hotel restaurant. Unsurprisingly, the place has a very international feel and was littered with business suits and hotel guests but we were settled in to our own cosy corner by the lovely waitress and left to look over the extensive all-Italian wine menu. This made us feel right at home. During the evening there is a 3-course menu and our selections included the spaghettini all’ astice (fresh lobster, Pigato thyme and fresh tomato), filatto di manzo (beef fillet, potatoes tortino, sautéed leeks and veal sauce) and mozzarella di bufala (Buffalo mozzarella, roasted balsamic beetroot, mixed leaves and beetroot dressing) and had just enough room for a Tiramisu and Delizia al Cioccolato, which was a delicious chocolate mousse served with, wait for it….. chocolate salami!! This totally made my evening. It was delicious. In fact, all of the food was delicious, well presented and perfectly cooked. We managed to wash it down with a fair few bottles of Chardonnay and left feeling very woozy and satisfied.

Alongside the a la carte menu, Diciannove are launching ‘Menus of Italy’, a regional menu available on the last Monday of each month that will be kicking off with the Tuscany gourmet dinner on Monday 23d March. The regional menus are designed by head chef Alessandro Bay who trained for 10 years under Giorgio Locatelli before taking over the restaurant when Locatelli moved on. Menus are available on their website!